Five more persons have been taken into custody by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in connection with an alleged Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) network, with the arrests carried out in Patan district.
Officials said on Thursday that Bilal Abidbhai Shera, Mohammad Ayub Kadiwala alias Mohammed Khadiyasan, Mohammad Palanpuri alias Khali Ayub Sunsara, Shafia Rais Mukhti alias Shafi Chapi and Mohammad Hasan Kardia alias Hasan Haidarpuri were apprehended from Khadiyal village in Siddhpur taluka.
The accused were produced before Judicial Magistrate RM Bhatia at Kadi in Mehsana district, who granted ATS custody until July 24.
With the latest action, the total number of arrests in the alleged terror module has risen to 13, following the detention of eight suspected JeM operatives on July 3. Investigators are examining the alleged network's suspected links to bomb-making material, JeM literature and the procurement and concealment of materials allegedly intended for terror activities.
Public prosecutor PR Dantani told the court that the ATS required custodial interrogation after informing it that one of the newly arrested accused had allegedly attempted to make a time bomb. He said bomb-making material and JeM literature in Urdu were still to be recovered.
"Their names came up during the investigation. It was revealed that one of the accused had tried to make a time bomb. He also possessed that literature. The literature and materials related to Jaish-e-Mohammed in Urdu are yet to be recovered.
Therefore, police sought remand for further investigation," Dantani told reporters.
Dantani further said investigators believe the accused had also attempted to test a crude time bomb, though the exercise did not succeed. The ATS is probing the source of the bomb-making material, the location where it was allegedly hidden and the manner in which the accused obtained jihadi books linked to JeM, he added.
According to the prosecutor, one of the eight suspects arrested earlier, identified as Amin, had allegedly supplied JeM-related material to the newly arrested accused, while another accused allegedly knew how to make bombs.
The fresh arrests come after the Gujarat ATS earlier detained eight alleged members of the banned Pakistan-based terror organisation from different parts of Gujarat and neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. The agency had alleged that the group was working on behalf of JeM to establish an active network in Gujarat to advance the outfit's terror activities.
Those arrested in the earlier operation were identified as Ahmed, Ibrahim, Mudassir, Zakaria Durani, Mufti Faujaan, Mohammad Amin Shera, Mohammad Abdul and Bilal Mohammad.
According to the Gujarat ATS, the case has been registered under Sections 13, 17, 18, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Sections 148 and 61 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
